Well hasn't April been the busy month for Comic Art Masterclasses and travelling? Last week it was Dublin, this week it's West Lothian and Baldock in Hertfordshire.
Fresh back from Ireland and Preston, I'm off to Baldock in Herts, the art centre which will always live in my memory as the last classes I did before lockdown, way back in March 2020. Two lovely sellout classes today, at the new timings of 1.30 and 4.30, because last year's morning class struggled to attract kids.
Then began three days in schools in West lothian. Hawkhill in Winchburgh must be the newest-built school I've worked in. Opened last September, it's surrounded by a housing estate that's still being built. The two days of workshops were supposed to be based on local history. The trouble was the kids didn't really know much local history, apart from some vague story about a sheep that came from the town and ended up in Iraq. I never got the full story. For all I know there's a farmer in Winchburgh who exports mutton to the Middle East. Anyhoo, it made the cover, and tomorrow's classes were to be better briefed on their local history. Brace yourselves...
For my second day in Hawkhill the kids had brushed up on local history. One had a story about tartan that had gone to space (again their recollection of the details were vague) and the other had a story about a local man who'd murdered his own children by drowning them in a sack! Did I mention these kids are 8 years old? So can I just emphasise this title and idea were entirely their own, encouraged by the teacher, as part of a local history project. I shudder to think what the parents made of it when they took this home.
Williamston Primary in Livingston had me in for the first of two days. I return next week. At least I hope I do, though after the interpretation I did from their Killer Pig suggestion I wouldn't be surprised if I, at the very least, get notes.
The celebrities these eight groups chose to appear in my demonstration strip were Donald Trump, David Attenborough, Olivia Rodrigo (twice), Harry Styles, Gordon Ramsay, Mr Beast and Cristiano Ronaldo.
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